Troubleshooting Missing ‘Hardware and Sound’ Tab in Windows 10 Control Panel

Navigating ‘Hardware and Sound’ Settings in Windows 10

Over the years, Microsoft has frequently moved around and renamed Control Panel areas in Windows. This can make it confusing when trying to locate specific settings for managing your devices and hardware. One commonly sought after section is ‘Hardware and Sound’, which contains configuration options for audio, speakers, recording, playback and more.

But on your Windows 10 machine, you may have noticed ‘Hardware and Sound’ is missing from the Control Panel. Where did it go, and how can you access these settings now? We’ll cover several solutions to help you get to the correct spot.

Use Category View in Control Panel

The quickest way to uncover ‘Hardware and Sound’ in Windows 10 is to switch Control Panel to Category view. Here’s how:

1. Open Control Panel through the Start Menu search box or by pressing Windows key + X and selecting it.
2. Look in the top right corner and click the drop down that says ‘View by:’.
3. Select ‘Category’ to arrange Control Panel by function.

You should now see a ‘Hardware and Sound’ category near the top, nestled between ‘System and Security’ and ‘Network and Internet’. Opening it gives you access to configuration panels for sound, volume, audio devices, and more – similar to the olden days.

How do I fix audio not working on my laptop?

Follow the instructions on your screen to install the generic driver. If the audio is still not working on your laptop using the solutions above, try rolling back the audio driver. To do this, right-click Start > Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers and right-click your audio device or sound card.

How to reset audio settings Windows 10?

To reset the audio settings, you must reset the sound device and volume of all apps, restore the audio devices to their default, reset audio services, reset the audio driver, and turn off audio enhancements. Here’s how to do it. Windows allows you to set specific sound devices and volumes for different apps.

Access Sound Settings Through the Taskbar

For quick audio adjustments, use the handy volume icon in the Windows taskbar near the clock. Right click on the icon, then choose ‘Sounds’ from the pop-up menu. This routes you directly to the main sound options for playback, recording, sounds, and communications.

Use Search to Find Specific Settings Panels

If you know exactly which hardware or sound panel you need, avoid Control Panel spelunking by using Search. For example, typing ‘microphone’ will surface the ‘Sound’ control panel pre-filtered to show recording devices and levels. Searching for ‘speakers’ brings up the playback tab.

You can also launch specific panels like Sound by typing ‘control panel sound’ into the search bar. This technique works for accessing other control panels quickly as well.

Diagnose Issues with Troubleshooters

For resolving audio problems in Windows 10, run built-in troubleshooters before trying more advanced fixes. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound > Troubleshoot common sound problems. Choose your issue like ‘No sound’ from headphones or speakers. The troubleshooter will analyze settings and drivers to correct any detected problems.

How to run Windows 10 audio troubleshooter?

Gone are the times where the troubleshooter was never able to identify issues; the Windows 10 troubleshooter works very efficiently. To run the audio troubleshooter in Windows 10, go to Windows 10 Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshoot > Playing Audio.

How do I set a default recording device in Windows 10?

1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Sound icon. If you like, you can open Run (Win+R), copy and paste the command below into Run, and click/tap on OK to directly open “Recording” devices in the Sound panel. [/I] Right click or press and hold on the recording device, and click/tap on Set a Default Device.

How do I set up sound on Windows 10?

Open Settings. Click on System. Click on Sound. Expand Choose your output device. Click on the playback device you want to use. That device will automatically play sound. Open the Control Panel. Click on Sound. Right-click on the output device you want and click on Set as Default Device. Click on Audio. If Audio isn’t there, click on Widget Menu.

You can also access troubleshooting tools for playback and recording devices by going to > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. This presents a wider range of automated diagnostics to get hardware and sound functioning properly again.

When All Else Fails, Use Device Manager

If you still can’t get sound working right in Windows 10, it’s time to dig deeper by examining connected devices. Open Device Manager via the search box or by pressing Windows + R and typing devmgmt.msc. In the Sound, video and game controllers section, check for issues indicated by yellow exclamation icons.

Right click on suspicious devices and choose Update driver or Uninstall. This will reinstall drivers or remove conflicting hardware. The ‘Action’ menu also has options for scanning Windows Update for driver fixes, adding legacy hardware, and more.

Getting familiar with these troubleshooting tools for managing hardware and sound issues will make you an audio pro. And exploring the reinvented Control Panel can enhance efficiency in all aspects of Windows desktop administration. Now you have the knowledge to handle whatever quirks the OS throws your way.

How do I change sound settings in Windows 10?

To do this in Windows 10, right-click the audio icon in the System Tray and select Open Sound Settings in Windows 10. Click the drop-down menu for Choose your output device and switch to the other source. In Windows 11, right-click the audio icon in the System Tray select and Sound Settings.

Why is my sound not working on Windows 10?

The current audio format may not work correctly with your PC’s hardware. To see if this is the case, type “Control Panel” in the taskbar’s search field and select the resulting Control Panel desktop app. Select “Hardware and Sound” on the main Control Panel menu, followed by “Sound” on the next panel.

Related Articles

• Solving Common Problems with Audio Playback in Windows
• How to Manage Startup and Background Sounds in Windows
• Improving Sound Quality for Recording and Communications

Let us know in the comments if you have any other insights into wrangling hardware and sound settings in Windows 10!

References

1. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/747622/no-hardware-and-sound-category-in-control-panel/
2. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-sound-or-audio-problems-in-windows-73025246-b61c-40fb-671a-2535c7cd56c8

How do I change the default audio device in Windows 10?

Type ‘Sound’ in search and select Settings. Choose Sound. Under the Playback tab section, you will find multiple audio devices; appearing as speakers, followed by the device’s name. You will also observe that the default device shows a green check beside it, labeled Default if you have multiple devices.

Why is my sound card not working on Windows 10?

If working on your sound card software has no effect, you should try switching to the generic audio driver that Windows 10 offers. This can often circumvent compatibility issues and restore sound capabilities to Windows activities. Step 1: Open the Device Manager again and find your audio driver as if you were updating it.

How to change default audio output device in Windows 10?

Click on the device under the Windows Default Device You will see the list of available devices. Then, click on the device you want to make the default audio output device. We can change default Sound Output Device in Windows 10 in 4 quick and easy ways.

How to troubleshoot computer audio not working Windows 10?

Windows has a dedicated audio services component that is responsible for playing all kinds of sounds on the system. Therefore, you can just restart the audio services on your system to troubleshoot the computer audio not working. Just go to the Start menu, launch the Run prompt, and enter the “msc” command.